Federal Communications Commission	FCC/DA  19-1297


DA 19-1297
Released:  December 19, 2019

PUBLIC SAFETY AND HOMELAND SECURITY BUREAU ANNOUNCES NEW ENHANCEMENTS TO WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE

PS Docket Nos. 15-91, 15-94

The Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which administers the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) through which all Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) are authenticated, validated, and delivered to participating Commercial Mobile Service Providers, has informed the Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (Bureau) that IPAWS is now available to fully support certain improvements to WEA. Phone conversation between Antwane Johnson, Director of Integrated Public Alert and Warning System Program, FEMA, and Nicole McGinnis, Deputy Chief, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, FCC (Dec. 18, 2019).
These improvements are described in the December WEA Advisory, and include the State/Local WEA Test category and more precise geotargeting for the delivery of WEA messages. See New Enhancements to Wireless Emergency Alerts will be Available on December 13, 2019, PS Docket Nos, 15-91, 15-94, Public Notice, DA 19-1208 (PSHSB Nov. 25, 2019) (describing the new WEA enhancements) (December WEA Advisory).  Further information on these enhancements is also available on the Bureau’s website at https://www.fcc.gov/files/weaenhancementfaqdec2019docx.
Accordingly, the Bureau announces that these WEA enhancements are now available for use by alert originators and must be supported by Commercial Mobile Service Providers participating in WEA. See Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau Announces Delay in Availability of Certain Improvements to Wireless Emergency Alerts, PS Docket Nos. 15-91, 15-94, Public Notice, DA 19-1273 (PSHSB Dec. 13, 2019) (waiving the requirement to support these WEA enhancements until such time as the Bureau issues a Public Notice announcing IPAWS is available to fully support them).

For further information, please contact James Wiley, Attorney Advisor, Policy and Licensing Division, Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, at (202) 418-1678 or james.wiley@fcc.gov.

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